1. Field of The Invention
The present invention relates to the field of vehicle moldings. In particular, the present invention relates to a removably attachable vehicle body protection pad for protecting the side doors of a vehicle.
2. Description of The Prior Art
In general, the concept of side moldings for a vehicle has been seen in the prior art. Numerous patents exist for devices which protect the side doors of a vehicle from scratches and dents. These scratches and dents occur when a parked vehicle is struck by the opened door of another closely parked vehicle. The problem with some of these devices in today's market is that they are too expensive to be manufactured, do not function adequately, or require a considerable amount of time to install, remove, and store. In addition, while most previous products provide only a narrow strip of protection, this device provides a wider range of protection in areas where scratches and dents actually occur. The vehicles can be manufactured with side moldings already installed by the manufacturer, but it can be very expensive at times because it is an optional item for the vehicle. In addition, such side moldings are usually very small and offer only minimal protection. Some vehicles do not come with side moldings. This is where the present invention comes into play. The following prior art references are relevant to the field of the present invention.
1. U.S. Pat. No. 2,734,765 issued to Henderson et al. on Feb. 14, 1956 for "Door Protecting Accessory For Vehicles" (hereafter "the Henderson Patent").
2. U.S. Pat. No. 4,221,412 issued to Miller on Sep. 9, 1980 for "Extendable Vehicle Lateral Guard" (hereafter "the Miller Patent").
3. U.S. Pat. No. 4,493,502 issued to Campbell, Jr. on Jan. 15, 1985 for "Car Body Guard" (hereafter "the Campbell Patent").
4. U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,697 issued to McGlone et al. on Feb. 12, 1985 for "Portable, Positionable Locking Magnetic Molding Tubes For Vehicle Protection" (hereafter "the McGlone Patent").
5. U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,560 issued to Balanky on Jul. 30, 1985 for "Protective Cover For Vehicles" (hereafter "the Balanky Patent").
6. U.S. Pat. No. 4,561,685 issued to Fischer on Dec. 31, 1985 for "Protective Pad For Side Of Motor Vehicle" (hereafter "the Fischer Patent").
7. Canadian Patent No. 689,935 issued to Parker on Jul. 7, 1964 for "Car Door Protector" (hereafter "the Canadian Patent").
8. German Patent No. 511,441 issued to Harbig on Oct. 30, 1930 (hereafter "the German Patent").
9. French Patent No. 1,077,058 issued to Schwob on Nov. 4, 1954 (hereafter "the French Patent").
The Henderson Patent discloses a door protecting accessory for vehicles. A longitudinally extending recess is provided in the outer face of the body and the recess is enlarged at its inner side edges for accommodating an elongated strip of metal which acts not only as a reinforcement for the device but also as an ornament. The device is attached to the outer side of the door by suction cups.
The Miller Patent discloses an extendable vehicle lateral side guard. It includes a strip extending outward and away from the exterior surface of the vehicle door. The strip is rigidly fixed to a pair of parallel arms which are arcuate in shape and which extend through the outer surface of the door. The arms are connected at their opposite ends to a U-shaped frame having vertical bars and a cross-bar integrally connected and rigidly fixed to the ends of the arms.
The Campbell Patent discloses a car body guard. It includes an elongated flexible rubber strap rolled up in a housing which is mounted in one of the wheel wells of the car. The strap may be unwound from the housing and extended across the side of the car and have its free end fastened to an attachment member in the other wheel well on the same side of the car. A return spring retains the strap along the side of the car and rolls it up again in the housing after it is detached from the attachment member in the other wheel well.
The Fischer Patent discloses a protective pad for the side of a motor vehicle. A hollow plastic pipe is encased with foam. The hollow plastic pipe is suspended by flexible belts which hang in a generally inverted Y shaped configuration and which is attached to the door of the vehicle.
The McGlone Patent discloses portable, positionable, locking magnetic molding tubes for vehicle protection. It includes an extruded tubing of a "D" channel configuration which adheres to any ferrous surface by means of an adhesively attached magnetic strip which is attached to the length of the molding in the underside recess of the "D" channel. The molding incorporates an internal flat semi-rigid member that maintains the molding in a straight and lateral attitude when attached to a ferrous panel. It also includes a circumferential locking device consisting of a coated wire retainer loop culminating in two reverse-band locking members. The locking device fits over the molding and the distally protruding locking members are then available for attaching to panel edges or the inside lip of vehicle doors to prevent theft.
The Balanky Patent discloses a protective cover for vehicles. The protective cover can be placed on or removed from the front and sides of a vehicle to protect its finish.
The Canadian Patent discloses a car door protector including two hook means attached at opposite ends of an elongated tether. The two hook means are hooked at opposite ends of the vehicle door edge.
The German Patent discloses a sectional railing attachment for a car. It includes several rails which attach to specific sections of the car such as the doors and fenders.
The French Patent discloses spaced apart cushioning members attached from end to end of the car.
One disadvantage of the prior art patents is that they use elaborate components and are therefore too expensive to manufacture. Another disadvantage of the prior art patents is that they use adhesive to attach the side molding onto the exterior surface of the vehicle. The adhesive can lose its adherence as time passes and the side molding will fall off the vehicle when the adhesive is not in effect.
Therefore, there is always a need to improve the side moldings of vehicles which will prevent scratches and dents on the side of the vehicle. It is also desirable to design a side molding that can easily be detached from the side door of the vehicle, so that the side molding can be removed when the vehicle is in motion. It is also desirable to design a side molding that can withstand adverse weather conditions, so that the side molding can be left on the vehicle while it is parked.